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Last year on Thanksgiving I was shipping my half husband off to a war zone. Thanksgiving Day. At 5:00pm. War apparently doesn’t care about family traditions and pumpkin pie. When I think about where I am today compared to last year I am immensely grateful. Immensely really doesn’t even seem to cover it. This has been an incredible year and I’m just thankful to be where I am today.

I’m also thankful to literally be where I am today… at home with the parentals. I love those guys! I always look forward to going home to hang out with my family and am incredibly lucky to have a family I enjoy. We have such great times together!

Third on the list, but certainly not least is the Budster. I’m so thankful for that little munchkin. He’s my best friend and everyday I am grateful he came into my life.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! May you be blessed to have great things in your life that make you grateful on a daily basis!

Yesterday I went to Blacksburg with my mom and dad for another Virginia Tech football game. If you pay attention to college football at all then by now you know we were in an unbelievable fight against Miami. It’s all over ESPN. It was the kind of game that makes me love college football. It was the type of game that I’m sure is making me go prematurely grey.

My Hokies were looking pretty good at the half with a 21-7 lead. Then the second half happened and we found ourselves down 35-31 with only 2:52 remaining. Now here’s the one thing you need to know about Hokie football – we have no offense. We haven’t had a serious offense for years. We have great players. We have talent. But when they get on that field something happens… well I should say nothing happens. That’s been our Achilles heel for years.

So here we are, about to take the field, with very little time left. My dad and I don’t do well in these situations. He was skeptical about us pulling it out due to our disastrous loss last week (23-3 against Clemson. OUCH). I’m biting my nails and praying to the football gods and my mom is discussing alternative transportation options for herself because she doesn’t want to be in the car with us for 3.5 hours if we lose this game. About that time she looks over at me and says, “we should remember it’s just a game”. WHAT?!

Today is my dad’s birthday. He’s been a member of AARP for quite awhile now. “Over the hill” was over 20 years ago. This year marks 63. He’s not ashamed to say it. He’s quite proud.

His father died at 58 of prostate cancer. I think that number was always in the back of his head. Just make it to 58. I think that birthday he finally let out that sigh of relief he had been hoping for for years. Every year past that has been a bonus. Having said that, my dad doesn’t seem 63 to me. Remember when 63 seemed ancient? Now it just seems like no big deal. My granddaddy would say he’s a “spring chicken.” Of course he’d say that up until about age 90, since Grandaddy made it to 94.

I really believe I won the parental lottery. I don’t know what I did in a previous life to deserve such wonderful parents, but I’m glad I did.